Apparatus for supplying receptacles with liquids.



L. A. HUFFERD.

APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING RECEPTACLES WITH LIQUIDS. APPLICATION FILED on. 25, ms.

LQAQAUA. Patented 1m. 11,191?

tor a'rrurrnsn, or :onriaorr; MICHIGAN.

LQMIPALUQL AppIication fiIed October 25, 1916. Serial $110,127,612.

To all whom it may concern .1

Be it known that 1, L01 A. HUr'FnRD, a

, citizen ofthe United States, residing at De troit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Supplying Receptacles with Liquids, of which the following is aspecification. I

The object of my invention is to provide a silnpleand practicalapparatus which will automatically operate to keep a receptacle supplied with liquid from a higher receptacle and maintain substantially constant a predetermined dilference of level between the bodies of liquid in the two receptacles. Such an apparatus is useful for various purposes, the specific embodiment of my invention hereinafter described being particularly adapted and intended for the purpose of keeping a watering trough constantly supplied with water from a reservoir located at a higher level. i

In the accompanying drawingv illustrating my invention, t

Figure l is an elevation ofmy apparatus as preferably constructed and arranged for thepurpose above referred to; and i Fig. 2 is a similar view on a larger scale and partly in section, showing the prinoi pal parts of the apparatus.

In Fig 1 of the drawing, 2 indicates the supplying receptacle, which is represented as a tank but maybe a pond, reservoir, stand pipe or any other source of supply of water or other liquid located at an elevation above the receptacle to be supplied. The latter receptacle is indicated at 3, and may be assumed in the present case to be a watering trough for horses, hogs or other animals. 4 indicates an upright pipe connected at its lower end with the tank. 2 by means of a pipe 5 and having its open upper end located within another upright pipe 6, which surrounds the pipe 4. and is closed at its upper end by means of a detachable cap 7 or otherwise, so that when the lower'end of the pipe 6 is sealed with water as hereinafter described said pipelprovides a closed air chamber in which the upper portion of the pipe-4L is located. The lower ends of the pipes 4, 5 and 6 are shown as secured to a hollow supporting base 8 which is shaped to provide an open passage 9 connecting the pipes 4 and 5 and another open passage 10 leading from the lower end of the pipe .Gthrough a branch 11 to and into thetrough APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING RECEPTACLES WITH LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent, Patent gfl 15mg, 11L 191% i 3 at a point below the water level intended to be maintained therein. i

In the particular apparatus illustrated the connections 5 and 11 lead from and to the receptacles 2 and 3 respectively at or closely adjacent to the bottoms of the latter and. the upper ends of thepipes. 4 and 5' .arelocated at the same level, as indicated bythe broken line as, although these details are not essential as will presently appear. Assuming that this arrangement is ernployed, however, the operation is as fol lows: Starting with all the parts empty exceptthe tank 2, assoon as the water isal lowed to enter the pipe 5 from said tank it flows down the pipe and thence upward through the pipe 4. to the top of the latter, at which point it is subjected to a static head equal to the difference in level between theupper end of said piped and the level of the water in the tank 2, whatever the latter level may be. Consequently the water overflows from the pipe 4, passes down through the pipe 6 and flows from the same into the branch 11 and eventually into the trough 3, and. as the flow continues the water rises in the. trough 3 and also in the lower end of the pipe 6 or its continuation 10, which is sealed by the watercontained in it. The result is that the air trapped in the pipe 6 is gradually compressed by therise of the water at its lower end, the pressure ofthis trapped body of air being exerted equally on the water in the pipe 4: and on the .water at the lower end ofthe pipe 6. Under these conditions the flow continues until the air pressure in said pipe 6 becomes sufiicient to balance the static head of the water in the tank 2 with respect, to the upper end of the pipe 4:, whereupon the flow stops and the same pressure acting on t the water at the lower end of the pipe .6

maintainsthe water in the trough 3 atsuch a level that its static head with respect to the water level atthe lower end of said pipe thus reached which remains undisturbed so long as the water levels 1n the receptacles 2 and 3 are unchanged,but as water is consumed from the trough 3 the lowering of the level therein reduces its staticf-head with respect to the water at the lower end of the pipe 6 and thereupon the air pressure in pipe raises, the level in the trough and by so doing I diminishes its own pressure, which is immediately restored by a flow from the tank 2 which continues until a condition of equilibrium is again reached;

, Ifthe water in the tank 2 rises its increased headresults in a further flow from the top of the pipe l, an increased compression of the air 1n the pipe 6 and a corresponding rise of the water in the trough 3, while if the water in the tank 2 falls the compressed air in the pipe o forces the water downward in the" upper end of 'the'pipe l and by its resulting expansion permits a corresponding fall in the level of the water in the trough 3. Thus u'n'der all'conditions the trough 3 is kept supplied with water from the tank 2'. so long as any water remains in the latter,

the level'of the water in said trough being compression ofthe trapped air to balance the'he'ad of water in the tank 2 with respect te u e upper end of the pipe 4, and this will depend in turn upon the relation between thevolume of trapped air and the transverse dimensions of the space in which the water' 'r'ises. e

' It will be seen from the foregoing description that either of the pipes 5' and 11 shouldente the corresponding receptacle at a; point above its bottom the water cont'aii'ned' in such receptacle below the point at which the pipe entered would have no efiect on the operation of the apparatus andcould be disregarded, although in such case the absolute depth of water would not necessarily be the" same in both receptacles. It twill also be seen that if theiipper end of the ipe 45 were located belowthe upper end of pipe 5' the operation would be the except that a greater depth of water i would be maintained in the trough 3, since water from'the tanks would flow out of the top of thepipe 4' until the compressed air fpre'ssure thereby vdeveloped became suflicient .to balancenot only the head of water in the tank 2 above the upper end of the pipe 5 but alga head equal to the difference in level between the upper ends of the pipes 4 liid I 'The principal; functions of the pipe 4 are re provid means for' counter-balancing in jpart ihe head or w'eteria the'tank 2 and to prey'eiit air from escaping into the pipe 5 .an'd thefice' out through the tank '2 in case the lefi l in the milk fainted these results are most j nvefiient ly secured in th manner illustrated, ifamely, by employing an upright pipe 4: of suitable length and connecting the pipe 5 to its lower end. This arrangement is not essential, since there are various other ways of accomplishing the same result, but it is particularly desirable because it is free from check valves or other moving parts which might rust and stick or otherwise get out of order. It is also desirable to cause the water leaving the pipe 6 to pass around the lower end of a baflie plate 12 or equivalent partition extending downward to a point below the branch pipe '11, in order that the volume of air in the pipe 6 may not be undi'i'ly diminished by loss through the branch pipe 11 and the trough 3 by reason of expansion during hotweather. With this arrangement, the air space in the pipe 6 will of course be sealed as soon as the water rises to the lower end or the baflie plate 12 l The receptacles 2 and 3*1'n'ay obviously be located one abovethe other or at any lateral distance from each other or from the pipe 6, the length of the pipes 55' and 11 being immaterial to the operation of the apparatus in the manner described;

' I claim v 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a supply receptacle, a receptacle to be supplied, an intermediate chamber connected to the latter receptacle and adapted to besealed by the liquid flowing thereto, thereby providing a closed air space within said chamber, and pipe connections arranged to transfer the liquid from the supply receptacle to said chamber and including means for partially balancing the static head of the liquid in said supply receptacle,

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a supply receptacle, a receptacle to be supplied,- an intermediate chamber connected to the latter receptacle and adapted to be sealed by the liquid flowing thereto, thereby providing a closed air space withm said chamber, and pipe connections arranged to transfer the liquid from the supply receptacle" to said chamber and terminating'in an upright portion having its upper end located in said air space, above the level of the liquid in the chamber.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a. supply receptacle, a receptacle to be supplied, an intermediate chamber connected to the latter receptacle and adaptedte be sealed by the liquid flowing thereto, thereby providing a closed air space within said chamber, a; pipe having an open upper end located in said air space at a point substantially level with the outlet from the supply receptacle, and

connections between said outlet and the lower end of said pipe,

4; In an apparatus of the characterde- 30 scribed, the combination of a supply receplocated in said chamber above the intended tacle, a receptacle to be supplied, an interlevel of the liquid therein, and connections mediate chamber having an open connection between the supply receptacle and the lower 10 leading therefrom to the latter receptacle end of said pipe.

' and containing a battle extending downward Signed by me at Detroit, Michigan, this to a point below the outlet from said con- 21st day of October, 1916. nection, a'pipe having an open upper end LOT A. HUFFERD.

Go let of thlrpatent may be obtained for five eenta each, by addressing the flommlmloncr of llatemta,

. Warblnmon, n, W 

